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The New Zealand Warriors have counterattacked from a 10-point halftime deficit, but they have almost killed the Western Tigers’ hopes in the finals.
After star guard Daine Laurie defeated the inspiring and brave Warriors 18-16 in the opening minute, his right ankle fracture was suspected to end the season, and the Tigers’ finals hopes were shattered.
When Laurie, a beacon of West’s dark season, got an assist on the court, coach Michael Maguire showed a haze on his high face on the bench at Suncorp Stadium. This is a well-founded concern, and the pressure from their unbearable losses will only increase the scrutiny of Maguire.
Veteran Peta Hiku returned from shoulder surgery early and became the captain of the Warriors. Before the game, he expressed his determination to be inspired by the spirit of former captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Hiku fulfilled his promise against the sleepy Tigers. Based on this terrible performance, they are not worthy of the finals. This is one of the bravest victories for the Warriors.
The Tigers screamed and fell in the second half. Leading by 10 points at halftime, when the Warriors rushed into the home court, they started timing.
West was complacent, and the Warriors made them pay the price, rotating center guards Euan Aitken and Bundy Afya into the battle. Aitken killed Luke Brooks’ brief retirement in the 1991 Finals—just like Mark Gale’s retro style in the 1991 Finals—and gave the Warriors an 18-10 lead. They persisted.
The Warriors could only name 20 players in the game earlier this week, but they didn’t show up.
A season that started with such a promise was mainly due to the large number of injuries. When Tuivasa-Sheck took Haka farewell to the Rugby League on Thursday, it was not a farewell to faith or courage. At least seven of the Warriors’ regular starters and 13 out of the game, the rest have been promoted.
One game that summarized the Tigers’ attitude was Joe Ofahengaue playing on the Warriors’ test line at the time of his death, without a dummy half.
For the second time this year, Brooks thought he had won, but was rejected by the bunker when he correctly determined that the charge hit his arm.
This was the moment when the Tigers scored 14 points and two victories outside the top eight. They had to seize the opportunity, but they messed up their defense.
Laurie paved the way for them this year. His 13 disconnects and 13 disconnect assists created a lot of sparks. When he left the field, the lights in Tiger Town went out.
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